Bus

Public transportation riders save $10,181 per year

Riders in 16 of the top 20 cities for public transit ridership save more than $10,000 a year and $800 a month due to the recent spike in gas prices, according to the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) latest Transit Savings Report.

The report shows that four straight months of gas prices increasing has pushed the average annual savings for public transit riders to $10,181 a year or more than $848 a month.

The savings are based on the cost of commuting by public transportation compared to the cost of owning and driving a vehicle, which includes the May 28, 2014 average national gas price of $3.65 per gallon and the national unreserved monthly parking rate.

APTA releases this monthly Transit Savings Report to examine how an individual in a two-person household can save money by taking public transportation and living with one less car.

Jean-Marc Landry will take over as CEO, while William Trainer will transition from his CEO role to undertake the roles and responsibilities of president and remain as a member of the board of directors.

Staff informed the board that this is intended to be the last diesel bus purchase that SamTrans will make because the Transit District would eventually like to convert its current fleet to electric buses in the future.